Marketers have long talked about the power of visual content both to get attention and to engage your audience.
However, with the advent of image-only social media networks – like Instagram and Pinterest – image marketing is no longer a nice thing to have and has become a must.
Without high-quality visual content, there is no brand presence on some of the most powerful platforms, including Instagram and Pinterest. While you can promote links and text on those networks, non-visual content may not go unnoticed.
While video is important, just publishing it is not enough. Every other brand is doing it, and consumers' eyes are used to bright, flashy images these days.
What you need is to stand out – this is more and more challenging in our visual web era.
So what can you do to embrace a more effective visual marketing strategy?
) It's all about ingenuity and experimentation, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Turn your social media photos into works of art
Make your social media images indispensable: as simple as that.
Well, it sounds simple and it will obviously boost your content performance – but how exactly can we do that?
Fortunately, there are tools for that, so it's also pretty doable.
Quickart Lightricks's was my first discovery recently and it was an instant hook. The app allows you to apply art templates, filters and effects to create memorable visual content not to be missed:
My favorite thing about this particular app is how easy it is to use. It doesn't take you hours to find any super advanced photo editing tools, like layers or masking tools, but the results are always unique and creative. In addition, it is free.
2. Brand your image well
People have high image. Our brains rely on images and visualizations, which makes visual marketing so effective.
Our brains process images 60,000 times faster than text and retain 80 percent of what we see compared to only 20 percent of what we read.
The source: Why Visual Science Increases Engagement
When we think, we tend to visualize things. It's easier for our brains to display colors and shapes than text or numbers. We visualize the links and connections between different concepts and entities.
Through creating visual meanings, images make any information more memorable and this is where the real power of visual marketing lies…
Visual content makes your brand easier to remember and recognize, which, in the long run, leads to better click-throughs and higher conversions.
Branding your image is an important step – but one that cannot be taken lightly. You want people to recognize your brand just through your content – but you can't make your image all about you, as your audience will quickly lose interest.
That means:
- Use a recognizable color palette
- Put your brand in an interesting and creative context
- Make sure that each individual piece of content contributes to a unified story that you want to tie into your brand.
If you're looking for some examples of branding that works - but doesn't get overwhelming or boring - check out Boxed Water's Instagram account. They turn each photo into a story that tells the same story: “Life is good and nature is wonderful as long as you save the planet.”
Visual Content Example from Canned Water
However avoid:
- Create a self-centered image
- Excessive use of your logo (e.g. watermark? Not a good idea for Instagram content)
3. Reuse your images everywhere
With your brand consistent from content to content, take your strategy to the next level: Tie all your channels to individual assets.
This is a great way to create the illusion of “My Brand is Everywhere” that ensures your audience remembers you well: Customers see your picture on Facebook, click your link, see your image. same (or similar) on your site and eventually see that image again when searching on Google (and that's where they can't resist anymore).
To build this #beeverywhere strategy, carefully use consistent images and visual elements everywhere. For example, Lead Pages with relevant visual elements (visual identities) on their Instagram feed and website:
Lead pages have the right visual elements (visual identities) on their Instagram feed and website.
And UPRIGHT uses the same visual elements in both their Instagram ads and the linked landing page:
This way, by using visual branding that isn't intrusive, brands build trust in users visiting their websites and create some sort of brand awareness across multiple channels.
To take this idea further, when we search for something relevant on Google we will see the right image or element that will immediately grab our attention and stop us from going. other places:
How can this multichannel awareness be achieved?
By using one repositioning strategy consists of:
- Reuse social media images on your website
- Using the same image (in different sizes) on multiple channels
- Basic application practice SEO images when publishing those images on your website and social media channels (this includes using optimized alt text, multiple hashtags, and description (or instant context) ). Have a lot of Blogger Helper do right.
This is where I always use Text Optimizer as this tool allows you to expand the list of keywords your images will show for. The tool uses semantic analysis to identify related concepts and entities for you to use in image descriptions/captions, hashtags/tags, etc., when publishing each image anywhere period. For example, here are the semantically related concepts for :
This tool also motivates you to diversify your tactics and avoid keyword stuffing by suggesting you use related words and synonyms in your copy.
Bonus: Embrace visual ads
You need all of the above steps to get it right: You need to create effective images, build your brands in a non-intrusive way, market them across multiple channels, and then start investing in visual advertising.
Fortunately, you have quite a few options, including:
- Instagram Ads
- Pinterest Ads
- Advertising on Facebook
- TikTok Ads
Also emerging are more creative options like Unsplash Ads focuses on changing brand awareness and building brand associations rather than clicks and views.
Conclude
Visual marketing can boost the performance of many – if not all – of the other promotional tactics you currently employ, including content marketing, traffic generation, SEO (or rather, - SERP Marketing), etc
The best part about visual marketing – in my opinion – is that you are never really done. You always have to innovate, try new tools, and discover new tactics to stay ahead – or at least stick to your niche.
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